Indeed, Riot, the company behind gigantic multiplayer titles like League of Legends and Valorant, has also long been suspected of promoting a toxic work culture. An investigation had already begun in October 2018, but Riot had refused to provide necessary information to reach results.

An ongoing conflict

The clash between the DFEH and Riot Games is a lengthy story, and not the first time the agency has complained about the company’s behavior and any resulting delays or problems. After the investigation began in 2018, Riot Games announced in 2019 that it had reached a private settlement with the circa 100 women, who subsequently waived their “claims and rights waived.”

The DFEH did not readily agree to this: “Consents that seek to prevent individuals from filing complaints or assisting in a DFEH case run afoul of the interference provisions of the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Employers cannot impose penalties on people who engage in protected activities under DFEH statutes. The mere existence of such consents has a freezing effect on the willingness of individuals to provide information that may be relevant to the DFEH as it advances the public interest in eliminating discrimination and harassment against employees.”

Even before, Riot had delayed investigations and was doing so again: “For the next 18 months, the DFEH sought these secretly agreed upon plea agreements. The court ordered Riot to provide them to the government by January 2021; however, Riot delayed doing so until April 2021. Alarmed by language in Riot’s consent orders suggesting that employees could not voluntarily discuss sexual harassment and other discrimination with the government […], the DFEH immediately sought help from the court. The court ordered Riot to submit corrective actions, but Riot delayed that process for two months.”

Riot Games justifies itself

In a statement to Kotaku, Riot justifies itself and gives reasons for the delay. “The problem lies mainly with former employees”. and one sends “Messages to former employees to confirm that Riot’s consent decrees did not prohibit employees from speaking to government agencies at any time”. Moreover, they had and would “never take action against anyone who talks to the authorities.”

Whether that is the only or true reason for the delays remains unclear. The fact is that Riot has a history of not always being cooperative when it comes to official investigations.

Apart from the delays mentioned above, Riot had, in the early days of the investigations. “refused to provide adequate information to the DFEH to analyze whether women in the company were paid less than men.” That refusal, he said, led to the lawsuit in the first place.